re laminating kitchen

[Jane C]

Hi everyonce,
We have a perfectly good kitchen thats only a year old, however being a woman and wanting to change everything I am not happy with the colour scheme. It is a laminex kitchen and the benches are also laminex. Is it possible to re laminate the cupboards and the benchtop? Also is it expensive ? I would need to get a profesional in as I am not that handy. Any info would be great, I ive in WA. Thanks.

[journeyman Mick]

Jane,
to change the colour of the doors and panels it's simplest and cheapest to get new ones made. If you have them drilled for hinges then it's a fairly simple matter to change them over. If you have a tall panel next to a fridge or wall oven and other cabinets run into this then it gets more complicated and partial dissasembly is required. It's best to replace the tops rather than to relaminate them. In order to relaminate them you would have to remove the sink and any set in appliances (ie cooktop), then sand roughly to provide a key for the glue. Trimming the laminate after gluing will be a messy business and you may be without a kitchen for a few days. Easier, quicker and less messy to have new tops made and fitted. Unfortunately it won't be cheap. There's five main price components to a kitchen, the whiteboard for the carcasses, the coloured board for the doors and panels, the tops, the hardware (hinges and drawer runners etc) and the labour to assemble and fit. You're replacing at least half of this.

Mick

[renomart]

Yes it can be done and yes it is expensive. It is cheaper and easier to buy melamine doors than to laminate existing ones. Laminating an existing benchtop is such a pain in the _ _ _ as well! It is cheaper and easier to buy new tops. Go to a cabinetmaker for your doors and go to a benchtop manufacturer for your top.

[PuppyPaw]

have you thought about perhaps painting the doors.
these days you can get a very wear resistant paint finish from your local paint store that if applied correctly will look really good.

Case in point, a mate has just done this and he rounded over the edges of his cupboard doors (MDF doors) then sealed the edges (with car putty of all things) then spray painted them ferrari red. They look bloody terrific if you ask me and he installed a black countertop of some stone.

He used an air car spray gun and some paint from.
They look as smooth as a babys #### and don't look anything like the original doors anymore. it took him 4 weeks to do it but it was well worth it!

[Jane C]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the info. I think I will just learn to love the cupboards and will go ahead and change the tops only.

I am interested in the paint idea though, My laundry cupboards are looking a bit daggy and could do with a spruce up. Puppypaw do you have the name of the paint your friend used and can you tell me if the finish was shiny or matt. Also where the laminate joins and you have that gap is that where he put the car putty ?

Thanks, Jane

[Sir Stinkalot]

White Knight make a laminate and tile paint that can be tinted to any colour. It has a special primer and cleaner as well. I used it 4 years ago to give the kitchen cupboards a quick makeover and it is still holding up very well. I think it is about $30 p/l so a standard kitchen can be done for less than $150, no special skills required .... only painting. Available from Bunnings.

[PuppyPaw]

Still waiting for my mate to get back too me on the name of the paint (it could take a while hes terrible with getting back to me on these things)

The White Knight that stinkalot sugested sounds promising tho. I know the paint doesn't cost very much!

[PuppyPaw]

Sorry its taken so long to get back to you Jane.
The product was the white knight laminate paint.
The doors where sanding with 120 grit sandpaper and wipped down with a damn cloth and allowed to dry.
the cleaner was then used then the paint with 6 coats (air gun) then to top it all off (I had no idea he had done this) he used car clear coat (6 coats) with wet sanding between every 2nd coat.
Once again I have no idea that he put the clear coat on, but it looks bloody fantastic.
Hes a perfectionist (an anal one at that)

[scooter]

You really hate those cloths, don't you Paw


Cheers........Sean, eternal damnation

[PuppyPaw]

You really hate those cloths, don't you Paw


Cheers........Sean, eternal damnation